DIY & Project Update

Though we really enjoy a good DIY project, time just does not allow them to happen very often or very quick. Well, I should say, we do them really, really fast in the window of time we have to do them.  So here is a little recap of what we have in the works…

BEFORE

AFTER

I have been hunting forever to find something to replace that shelf.  I hate that shelf because to be honest, I don't really have anything that fits into those squares.  Then it just ended up being junked up by kid stuff.  So I am loving these cupboards where I can hide all of that.  I think I will maybe add a few more frames to the table and am still on the hunt for a chair (have been for months).  I just read something somewhere about home decoration, it's more of a marathon than a sprint.  I will agree to that.  I'm so darn picky that it takes me forever to find something that I like.  I was a bit nervous about this item to because I ordered it online, luckily it turned out fine.  Keith did not enjoy putting it together:)

OH, A CLOSET??? 

Let's take a look!  I'm super excited about this little project. I added these little shelves first, which was great!  Then I decided this would be a far better place to let the mail and all the in and out junk pile up!  It is no longer on my counter - huge win!!!!  I bought this rack so I could organize kids stuff, coupons, etc.  It could be fancier with fun labels and things, but it works for me.  I LOVE IT!

 

 TREES!

We try and add a couple new things to the yard every year.  It is quite toasty in our backyard so we thought a couple bigger trees would be a good investment.  We picked them out a while ago, but they were just installed last week.  Keith's grandfather passed away this summer and he was a farmer and a big lover of trees and nature, so we thought it would be perfect to plant this tree for him.  It is a red sunset maple and I think it will be beautiful in the fall.

And of course Grandpa Clarence's tree needs a sidekick, so we also planted a beautiful, silk ivory lilac that we can call Grandma' Caroline's tree.  I'm really excited to see how these change through the seasons, I think we will really enjoy them.

Also - we are finally done with the patio!  You are probably thinking that is old news!  However, if you were to ever look close there was a gap along the entire edge (child trap!) that needed seeded.  Keith did that last week as well.   We also added lights and pillar caps this summer too.  So now I need to think of some fun landscaping ideas around it.  The sun killed our orange chairs too - so if anyone has a great recovering idea let me know!

FINALLY - MORE ROOM FOR OUR JUNK!

We would really like to build a shed for our lawnmower / snow blower and the rest of the junk, but realize that would take us a really long time.  So in the short-term we decided to build a little loft in the garage. Luckily we have really high ceilings so you don't really even notice it.  We were able to take a ton of things off the floor and toss up there.  When we were in MN we had a two-car garage, so I though having a three car garage would be plenty big.  Well, a jeep, a riding mower and a bunch of other toys later, things are getting tight! Who knew?  We think we might be able to put the wagon and lots of other toys up here in the winter too, so that will be nice!  Now one of the next big projects on my list is to paint the garage.  This will not be fun.  Why on earth did we paint our garage white?  Good question, I wouldn't have if our builder asked us.

WHAT ELSE IS IN THE WORKS?

• Well, the basement stairway is halfway painted.  Seriously, I started a few weeks ago, haven't touched it.  We need the ladder and Keith to hold it, so that requires after bedtime painting and I am always too tired for that business.
• Staining the deck! After about 5 failed attempts due to weather, Keith finally knocked out the main deck boards.  Then I did a section.  We still have the stairs and some rails.  I told Keith it was his turn.  I just don't enjoy staining decks.  You know when you wish you had a smaller deck, when you are staining it!  Because it sucks! I spent like 2 days powerwashing it just to get ready to stain it.
• I would like to start getting a plan in place for the basement, so we can start exploring costs, contractors and the works.  We are not doing it ourselves.  Maybe some parts, but most we will not.

My latest Pinterest project

As I have mentioned before - like most projects, here is another that I will reveal at 95% complete, since   who knows when we will be 100% complete!

I saw this dark wall with white frames on Pinterest here and decided I wanted to do something similar.  I decided the wall connecting our bedroom and master bath would work well - except one challenge was the arch that connected to the wall.

So initially I painted the wall on the left, but it just looked odd.  I was a bit nervous to paint the entire hallway in case it looked like a dark tunnel.  Now that I painted it all, I'm happy I did!  It looks much better with all of it painted than the one wall.  

Then it was time to put many years of picture hanging to use!  I knocked this out in record speed - about an hour!  Which is pretty impressive for me because I lined them up - not just my typical quick eye the spot - nail in the wall, step away and review, add a second nail and reposition- OK, just right approach.  I wanted them to line up, so I had to be a bit more on the precise side.  I did use picture hanging wire to speed up the hanging process.

So now about those green frames in the earlier posts???  I couldn't find the frames I wanted and found these at Michael's in green, so I ended up buying them and spray painting them a sparkling silver.  

Now what I am waiting on would be the pictures to fill the frames, I will be putting some of our maternity pictures in these.  

The boys were funny about these.  First they said, is that mom and dad - where is Carter and Dylan.  Then this morning Carter asked me if that was their "old dad".  

 

Gallery Wall!

Cruise past this extra wide belly to the pics behind it.  We had all these pics on these ledges at our old house.  I left the ledges at the house (good chance they were about to fall any day) and I have been trying to decide what to do with them at the new house.

I saw this arrangement on Pinterest with the horizontal line in the middle and thought it would be fun to try.  So I finally decided maybe a good place for this assortment would be the office.

I tried out a few different arrangements on the floor, then spent some time taping our a grid on the wall.

{and I'm sure many of you are thinking all these frames on the floor is a bad idea with little kids - and yes, I now have to replace the glass in one of these frames. Luckily Carter didn't cut his finger!}

Since I'm not much of a perfectionist, the frames went up pretty quick.  And since I'm not much of a perfectionist, there is definitely more nail holes than nails on that wall.

I wish it didn't take so darn long to sort through old pics, I know I have a lot of fun pics that would have been fun to have on the wall.  Maybe for another project.